Community Health Workers and Teleaudiology as a Culturally-relevant Approach to Improving Access to Hearing Health Care

University of Arizona28 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility of a teleaudiology intervention with assistance from Community Health Workers to improve access to hearing health care.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Hearing Loss

Interventions

Community Health Workers and Teleaudiology as a Culturally-Relevant Approach to Improving Access to Hearing Health CareBEHAVIORAL

In this project, remote hearing aid fittings will be delivered by an audiologist with patient-site support from a local facilitator for a cohort of older adults (\>50 years) from a rural area that has been identified as under-resourced for hearing health care.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 50 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Bilateral hearing loss within the fitting range of study hearing aids Exclusion Criteria: * Medically unqualified to receive hearing aids * Current hearing aid user * Cognitively impaired

Locations (1)

Mariposa Community Health Center

Nogales, Arizona, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Self-efficacy: The Self-Efficacy for Situational Communication Management Questionnaire

The Self-Efficacy for Situational Communication Management Questionnaire (Jennings, 2005; Jennings et al, 2014) measures self-perceived hearing ability and hearing self-efficacy, or a participant's beliefs in their ability to manage communication with acquired hearing loss. The SESMQ contains 20 situations that are rated on two scales, hearing ability and perceived self-efficacy. Participants respond on a Likert scale from 0 (not well at all) to 10 (very well) to how well they can hear and how well they can manage in each situation. Total scores on each scale range from 0-200, with higher scores representing better perceived self-efficacy and better hearing ability. The two scales are scored and reported separately. We will evaluate the differences in SESMQ scores between experimental and control groups at 2-weeks post hearing aid fitting. Analyses will utilize baseline data and follow-up analyses will occur for 6-week and 12-week timepoints.

Time frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after hearing aid fitting

Secondary Outcomes

Hearing aid benefit

The Effectiveness of Auditory Rehabilitation (Yueh et al., 2005; EAR) is a subjective scale of hearing aid function and quality of life. The first set of questions is administered before and after the hearing aid fitting, and relates to hearing concerns, including listening in quiet and other situations. The second set of questions relates to functioning with the hearing device, such as fit and convenience, and is administered after the hearing aid fitting. We will evaluate the differences in inner EAR scores between experimental and control groups at 6-weeks post hearing aid fitting. Analyses will utilize baseline data where appropriate and follow-up analyses will occur for 6-week and 12-week timepoints. Participants are asked to respond to statements on a five-point scale (i.e. very poor, poor, so-so, good, very good). Each answer is awarded a point. Higher cumulative scores indicate better benefit.

Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 14 weeks after hearing aid fitting

Satisfaction with teleaudiology service delivery

Telehealth Satisfaction Scale (TeSS) The TeSS is a 10-item scale probing satisfaction with telehealth services. Responses are on a 4-point likert scale (Excellent, good, poor, fair). Higher cumulative scores represent better satisfaction.

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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